The present invention relates to a flow conduit useful in operations involving repair of waste water mains or other underground conduits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flow conduit designed for traversing a traffic way to allow flow to be bypassed around a repair area.
In the repair of underground waste water mains and other buried pipelines, it is generally necessary to route flow around the repair area to facilitate repair operations and to minimize the interruption in services. Typically, a flexible hose or the like is placed to receive flow at a point upstream of the repair site and is extended to deliver flow to an area downstream of the repair site. Normal flow through the buried pipeline bypasses the repair area by way of the flexible hose.
However, this approach to accomplishing flow bypassing is not entirely satisfactory. In most settings, the flexible hose must be extended across vehicular or pedestrian traffic ways or across entrance to commercial buildings and parking lots, interrupting traffic flow and causing potential safety problems. Conventional aboveground hoses may leak upon exposure to heavy vehicle traffic. These problems are exacerbated when the traffic way to be traversed is exceptionally wide or where the traffic flow is particularly heavy.
Moreover, flexible hoses pose numerous hazards when extended across traffic ways. Flexible hoses can be relatively easily torn or punctured in the course of normal repair operations, resulting in leakage and potential added expense to the repair operation. Such hoses can be damaged even by pedestrian traffic, but are particularly susceptible to damage by vehicular traffic. Vehicular traffic traversing flexible bypass hoses may easily destroy or damage the hoses, or may temporarily constrict flow, potentially disrupting repair operations.
The problem of safely conveying flow across a traffic way with minimal disruption arises in other settings as well. In chemical plants or other manufacturing facilities, it is often necessary to convey potable water or an enormous variety of other liquids and slurries across traffic ways. While flow conduits may simply be buried under the traffic way in such instances, this may not always be desirable. For example, where equipment configurations are expected to change rapidly, flow requirements may also change, such that use of a permanent buried flow conduit may not be cost effective. Permanent buried flow conduits may also be undesirable where, for example, the flow conduit must traverse a specialty concrete floor inside a manufacturing facility.
It would be desirable to provide a bypass conduit which avoids traffic interruption and resists breakage. It also would be desirable to provide a bypass conduit which is adaptable to traverse multi-lane traffic ways while still allowing traffic access to the traffic way while repair operations are being conducted. It further would be desirable to provide a bypass conduit which can be easily transported by operators between job sites and which is versatile so as to be usable with a variety of underground pipelines or other conduits at a variety of sites.
According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for conveying flow across a traffic way between a first flow conduit and a second flow conduit. The apparatus includes a first coupling attachment coupling to the first flow conduit, a second coupling attachment coupling to the second flow conduit, and a ramp member extending between the first flow conduit and the second flow conduit. The ramp member includes a base plate, a top plate, and a pair of angled side walls extending between the top plate and the base plate to form a low-profile ramp over which traffic can safely pass. The base plate, top plate, and side walls cooperate to define an interior region for flow. Flow from the first flow conduit passes through the first coupling attachment, then through the interior region, and finally through the second coupling attachment to reach the second flow conduit.
In preferred embodiments, the apparatus also includes means for connecting the first coupling attachment to the ramp member and means for connecting the second coupling attachment to the ramp member. Advantageously, an operator can remove a coupling attachment where necessary and connect a plurality of ramp segments in serial connection to traverse a wide traffic way.
An adapter is provided to couple one ramp segment to another ramp segment. Illustratively, the adapter has first and second faces angled from the vertical. The adapter can be connected between a pair of ramp segments to arrange the ramp segments at an angle to one another. Advantageously, this allows a pair of ramp segments to be affixed flush to a crowned roadway.
A method is provided in accordance with the present invention for conveying flow across a traffic way between a first flow conduit and a second flow conduit. The method comprises the steps of positioning a ramp member to extend across a traffic way, attaching first and second coupling attachments to the ramp member, and connecting the first and second flow conduits to the first and second coupling attachments respectively.
A kit also is provided in accordance with the present invention. The kit comprises a plurality of coupling attachments of varying inside diameters, each of the coupling attachments including means for connecting to a first or a second flow conduit. The kit further comprises a plurality of ramp segments of varying lengths, each ramp segment defining an interior region for fluid flow. The kit also comprises means for attaching a selected coupling attachment to a selected ramp segment so that flow can pass from the flow conduit through the coupling attachment to the interior region. Advantageously, the kit provides versatility and allows operators at the job site to adapt the device to widely varying conditions.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.